Collections | Literary & Historical Manuscripts

Jean de Brunhoff (1899–1937)
Histoire de Babar, le petit éléphant (The Story of Babar)
Preliminary design and layout, cover, ca. 1930
Wax crayon and graphite
8 1/4 x 6 1/2 inches (21 x 16 cm)
Gift of Laurent, Mathieu, and Thierry de Brunhoff, and purchased with the assistance of The Florence Gould Foundation and the Acquisitions Fund, Fellows Endowment Fund, Gordon N. Ray Fund, and Heineman Fund, 2004; MA 6304
© Heirs of Jean de Brunhoff
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The Story of Babar, published in French in 1931 as L'histoire de Babar, le petit éléphant, began as a bedtime story de Brunhoff's wife Cécile told their sons. De Brunhoff expanded and illustrated the tale of the baby elephant who is cruelly orphaned, has adventures in civilization, and grows up to be king of all the elephants. The Morgan's collection of Babar material includes de Brunhoff's notes on color for his illustrations, draft text and illustrations in pencil, watercolor studies, and the dummy with the original handwritten text. It records the book's journey from idea to publication.

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